Navy Nursing Questions

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Hi all, I'm wondering if there are any current or recently former Navy nurses out there in this community. I am very interested in Navy nursing, but I have a HUGE amount of questions and would love to get some information from those of you who have been there, done that. I looked at old threads, but most of them are quite old and don't answer most of questions. Here goes! And thanks in advance for any help :) Also, just some background, I'm a nurse at The Shock Trauma Center here in Baltimore...I work on an IMC.

How many hours do/did you work per week?

I've read that since the Navy basically owns you, you sometimes have to work overtime with no overtime pay...is that true?

How easy is it to get time off?

Do/did you get to create your own schedule?

What was the application process like?

Did you get to choose where you wanted to go?

Did you stay in one place or did you transfer to other cities/states/countries?

If you transferred, how easy or hard was it to do so?

Whats the pay like? And how are the benefits?

Overall, do/did you enjoy your experiences as a Navy nurse? Would you recommend it?

What sort of unit do/did you work on?

Do/did you get to pick what unit or types of units you get to work on?

I'm interested in ICU/critical care; do/did you feel like there is the ability to get trained and move around to different units?

Are/were you at risk of being deployed?

Thanks!

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

Welcome to allnurses, we have a huge community so I am sure you will find answers to any nursing questions you may have!

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Specializes in Obstetrics, Labor and Delivery.

I'm a Navy Nurse! Send me an email @ [email protected] and I'll reply with answers to all your questions. I'm excited to help anyone interested in military nursing!

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

Yes, you'll work overtime and you aren't paid for it. Generally speaking, you will take a step down in terms of acuity except for deployment - and if you come in as critical care, your chances of deploying are higher.

Do you have a BSN? How many years of experience with the BSN? That will determine your initial rank. You can Google something like "military pay" and find pay charts. If you have less than 4 years of experience, it's likely you'll come in as an O-1. You will also receive a housing allowance (BAH) that is determined by duty station zip code.

As a military nurse, you will give up control of your life, schedule, work location, and where you live. There is some illusion of control, but the military can put you where they need you most, even if it doesn't match up with your expertise or desires.

Just be aware that the military (all branches) is full of nurses, and thus recruiters may not share your same sense of urgency or interest. Don't take that personally - if you truly desire to serve, be persistent. It can be very rewarding, though it is often thankless. Good luck!

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Rachingram1220 could I e-mail you as well? I'm also interested in military nursing.

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Specializes in Obstetrics, Labor and Delivery.

sm_carter, please do!!

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Rachingram1220, would I be able to email you as well?

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Specializes in Obstetrics, Labor and Delivery.

Please do, I'm happy to help!

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